Our History
Wolter Pools & Spas started the same way any other successful business seems to – in a garage. That’s right, it all started in Russ and Pat Wolter’s garage in 1965.
Back then, Russ was the district manager for a group of movie theaters in the area. Reading the local paper one morning, he spotted an ad looking for a dealer to sell Spartan pools in the area. The requirements were simple: it could be part-time or full-time, but the person must be motivated to learn everything about pools.
Russ and Pat fit the criteria… and a family pool store was born.
Growing a Family Business
Wolter Pools grew one pool at a time, and as pools were installed and word spread, the store continued to grow as a result. Russ and Pat quickly outgrew the two-car garage where it all started and just five years later, in 1970, a new store and warehouse were built behind the house to make room for the growing demand.
As the business grew by leaps and bounds, Russ decided to retire from his career in the theater business and focus solely on the pool industry – which he had quickly realized was his true passion.
In 1976, another addition was made on the warehouse to accommodate their booming business.
Fast forward to 2001. Russ and Pat saw their dream go from a small garage to a large store on a busy local highway when they broke ground for a new 10,000 square foot store and warehouse. It’s the same building we operate out of today, as we continue to offer the ultimate playground for families to stop in and find the perfect oasis for their homes.
It’s a Family Passion
Over the past 50 years, Wolter Pools has been all about family – it’s at the heart of everything they do.
While it all may have begun when the first pool Russ installed was his own – so his family could relax and spend time together whenever possible – the foundation of family-focus lives on today.
Russ employed a wide range of family members over the years, along with family friends and other employees that soon became part of their growing family and business. In 2007, his and Pat’s daughter Kim and employee Tom Larson, officially bought the business to continue the Wolter Pools & Spas legacy… and allow her parents to opt for some much needed “rest and relaxation” on occasion.
Today, the same fond memories Russ and Pat share of their own family playing at the pool is what the entire Wolter extended family wants for all of their customers.
